Austria Travel Guide

Note about driving to Austria: You need to purchase a driving pass to display on your windshield. The passes are available at most gas stations near the boarder. A pass costs €7.70 and is valid for 10 days.

Reutte
A small town located near the German boarder in Bavaria. It's a good place to spend the night while visited Neuschwanstein.

Accommodations

• Alpenhotel Erberg, Planseestrasse 50, 05672/71912. Plain, but comfortable, rooms with great views. Hiking and running trails near by. Really good food in the cozy restaurant. (See Oasis in the Snow, my post from December 26, 2007.)
  

Attractions

• See Schloss Neuschwanstein in Bavaria.
  
• For additional information about this town visit the region's English language tourist site.

Salzburg
Both Motzart and the Von Trapp Family called Salzburg home so this a very musical city. But, the picturesque winding streets ending in charming squares make this a must-see stop for even those who can't stand The Sound of Music.

Accommodations

• Hotel Stein, Giselakai 3-5 A. +43 662 8743460. I would stay if I wasn't trying to maintain my travel budget.
• Belmondo Hotel, St Julien Strasse 7. The hotel is a 10-minute walk from the center of the city, but I wouldn't stay here again. The staff was rude and it wasn't as clean as I'd like.

Attractions

• Mozart Dinner Concert. Not the best food and quite touristy (everyone at our table was from the U.S.) but a good way to experience opera in Salzburg if you're with someone who's not willing to sit through an entire concert.
  
• There are many concerts in Salzburg all the time. For information , visit the Salzburger Concert Web site.
  
• Salzburg Dom. The main cathedral in Salzburg is worth a visit. Since we were there on Christmas Eve we attended midnight mass. The music was AMAZING!
• Sound of Music Tour. Rick Steves, surprisingliy, gives this tour a great review. Kevin would have killed me if we spent Christmas Day on a bus full of American tourists singing "Doe a Deer" though. I were in Slazburg with my sister we'd surely indulge in this tour.
  

Restaurants

• M32. Mönchsberg 0662/841000. Restaurant at the modern art museum overlooking the city. This restaurant was closed when I visited Salzburg (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). I am including it in my guide because it was highly recommended by an Austrian friend who has spent a great deal of time in Salzbug.
  
• The Steinterrace. Giselakai 3-5 A. +43 662 8743460. This is the rooftop bar at the Stein Hotel.
• Carpe Diem Finger Food. Getreidegasse 50. +43 (0)662 848800. Dinks and snakes. All of the the food comes in cones., hence the name.